Captain Planet — the movie?
Jeremy Hobson: Well in its first three weeks at the box office ‘Transformers’ has raked in more than $300 million.
And now, as Marketplace’s Eve Troeh reports the producers of ‘Transformers’ have a new project. Involving the Blue skinned, green haired superhero — Captain Planet.
Captain Planet clip: By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet! Captain Planet, he’s a hero.
Eve Troeh: Gonna take pollution down to zero!
Oh, sorry, can’t help it. And consumer psychologist Kit Yarrow isn’t surprised. Captain Planet fought villains like Looten Plunder and Hoggish Greedly in the early ’90s. His comeback’s right on time.
Kit Yarrow: We tend to go back about 20 years when it comes to our infatuation with nostalgia.
Ted Turner’s cartoon broke ground as the first environmental kids’ show. But Yarrow says the Captain and his multi-cultural Planeteers need a makeover.
Yarrow: No offense, I know you love him, but it’s cheesier than a lot of the other action heroes.
Still, he’s a known entity — a plus for the partners in the remake, Cartoon Network and Angry Films.
Keya Chatterjee leads climate change negotiations for the World Wildlife Fund. She says Captain Planet will help environmental issues stay in the spotlight, plus:
Keya Chatterjee: I could really use a hero right now.
Well, Keya, remember:
Captain Planet: The power is yours!
I’m Eve Troeh for Marketplace.
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